Ok been playing this for a while and at this point I just have to give my props to this game.
It is excellent and no skill, outside a regular attack, exists solely for damage. Even the lowliest spell or attack has some other function allowing it to remain relevant from level 1 to level 20 (In fact they are often MORE useful later on as their sub-abilities become stronger). Even skills where the special ability IS to do extra damage, it has an alternative special ability (bleeding for example... actually makes the opponent bleed, great if you are going to electrocute their blood).
The combat is strategic and while enemies are often incredibly stupid, too stupid in some cases, it isn't unusual for the enemies to be, on paper, far superior to you with you needing to outmaneuver or strategize your opponent. Every element and every skill feels alive with the number of uses you can get out of it.
Is the game flawless? Not really... Enemies with elemental attacks but physical visuals feel cheap (they should deal physical damage with an elemental boost)... The crafting system often feels like you either cheese it or you ignore it (as well, you can outright ignore it if you get lucky enough. Items and personality alone can get you 4 loremaster...) as you will never have enough points. You really do feel like you must be a thief or be destitute for the first hurdle of the game... and some of the puzzles can be outright ridiculous. Yet these are really a drop in the bucket. As well some skills don't show what they do until you buy them and test them out.
As well have no idea how you check an enemies' debuffs and buffs (as in what they do).
STORY WISE... the game is pretty much outright aimless for most of it. You get a few missions but you don't have a strong megaplot... making you feel more like just some adventurer.
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This is oddly one of the few games where I never felt like the game was missing anything... and yet I INSTANTLY wanted an expansion.